Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Ethiopian PM promises electoral reform, opposition unconvinced

Ethiopian Prime
Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said on Tuesday that his government is trying to
reform the electoral system to include demands made by the opposition during
recent violent protests.His comment made
during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the
capital Addis Ababa was unconvincing to the opposition.

“We want to reform
the electoral system so that the voices of those who are not represented can
also be heard in Parliament,” Desalegn said.

“Our
democratization process is still in its infancy. We want to go further in
opening up the political space and engagement with civil society,” he added
after Angela Merkel called on the government to include opposition groups in
the country’s political process.

The opposition
rubbished the Prime Minister’s claims making reference to failed promises in
the past.“It’s too little,
too late. The people demand much more than can be done during the next four
years. This requires a fundamental change. A transitional government of
national unity that includes all stakeholders,” Merera Gudina, president of the
Oromo People’s Congress told AFP.

“The
regime has always promised things to satisfy the international community, but
never implement them,” he added.

The Ethiopian
parliament has no independent or opposition member represented after the ruling
Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
won all the seats in the 2015 contested elections.

Ethiopia has over
the last 11 months experienced anti-government protests resulting in bloody
clashes with security forces. Rights groups
estimate that over 500 protesters have been killed so far.